REVIEW #1: 91/100

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No one saw it coming! The world’s two biggest superstars have released a collaborative album titled “To Have Never Loved at All”. The album serves as Lorde’s eighth studio album following up the massive 2021 Grammy-winning album “Scarlet” which was released last year and Lana Del Rey’s seventh album, three years after the release of her iconic 2020 Grammy-winning album “I Believe in Love”. Both stars have cemented themselves as not only the most popular artists in today’s music scene but also musical trailblazers with over 30 Grammy awards combined. With “To Have Never Love at All”, the two continue their masterful performance of their previous projects but this time they dive deep into the world of folk and indie. Although “I Believe in Love” and “M&MS” could’ve prepared us for this shift, a few would’ve guessed that the long-anticipated collaboration from the two would end up being the stripped-down Indie-Folk album that is “To Have Never Loved at All”. Even the surprise release is unusual for the two, both coming from heavily-calculated eras and schedules with the labels being involved from the very beginning of the pre-production stage. Lana Del Rey and Lorde showed that things can be done differently with music and friendship prevailing over all things. The album is a treaty of friendship and sisterhood with love being the main motive behind each of the 11 tracks. “To Have Never Love at All” is perhaps their most defining project lyrically, delivering an emotional punch, stellar ability of story-telling and commanding the full attention of the listener. The first track off the album “Letter from an Old Friend” was also the first song written for the project. The song is written as a dialogue between two friends whom have lost in touch and finally talk again. A letter passed to one another that is reminiscent of their past but also not quite the same anymore. The line “Perhaps we could start anew?” depicts the song perfectly. It is apparent that the two had a deep close friendship but time has made things difficult and with that comes the realization that they’d have to start all over again in order to build what they once had. The song starts off the album with the idea that embracing the future is difficult when our minds are suffused with longing but love is the glue that holds us together and gives us a reason to chase for it again. We could either dwell on it or move forward. The uncluttered and refined production on this track foretells the magic behind this album which is its richness in simplicity.

 

Their story-telling takes a step forward with “A Missed Connection”, telling the story of an old woman who takes a trip down memory lane and recalls the lost love of her life that she never saw again. Lyrically, this takes the listeners to these very moments as if we’re watching a romantic film from the ‘70s.  Melodically, the to-die-for chorus when both Lana and Lorde sing “Oh, it was magical/ Oh, it was beautiful” is one of the most beautiful moments on the album. On “Fine Wine”, written and sung mostly by Del Rey with Lorde adding background vocals, Lana speaks about a longing for someone unavailable and older. A love that is destined to fail but you would be willing to do anything for it to miraculously happen. The kind of love that you know is a deception but you’re willing to get sucked into it anyways. Lana showcases raw and powerful vocals, giving the feeling as if we’re floating between total despair and a hopeful dream. Written from the perspective of an unhappy housewife chained in a relationship with a man, “Know Me” tells the story of a toxic relationship that makes you doubt and give up on your yourself for your partner. “No one, no one knows me like he knows me” points at the very thing that is so harmful in these type of relationships which is self-doubt. You’re letting go of yourself for the other person and by that, you’re completely canceling your mere existence. Their expressive story-telling shines yet again during the bridge when the woman realizes that this not what love is all about. The production on this one is fuller than the other tracks and the build-up to the finale of the song is impeccably done with both of their strong harmonizing vocals complementing each other so well. The song couldn’t have ended on a better note with “He didn’t know me at all” repeatedly sung, intensifying the unapologetic rage that the woman has locked inside herself for so long. With that, the woman ultimately reclaims her power and self-worth. That rage escalates and strengthens on “Blind Devotion”, a song about a woman who expresses her anger at her lover or God for abandoning her. It’s unclear who this really is about but being in the state of anger she is; the fingers are pointing everywhere.  It portrays a fury that is so loud in its’ tenderness and haunting melody that is just another example of their masterful ability to have us completely immersed into the story. The song is six-minutes long and you don’t once feel like it’s dragging too long.  The explosive climax leaves us bare from all the rage and anger that was built up during the song and the decision for a nearly one-minute of a “calm after the storm” was a brilliant choice sonically. The song is one of the best on the album. “Mercy” starts off the second and calmer half of the album. Much like “A Missed Connection”, the song speaks about the desire to re-experience a love that once was but on this track, she intends to “close your chapter in my life”. Sung entirely by Lorde, this track is like a one last wish before she leaves the memory behind. Accompanied with a sweet cozy melody on just a piano, the song is perhaps one of the easiest to sing along to from the very first listen and one of the most memorable tracks on the album.

 

Del Rey’s solo comes next with “Safety Net” which is one of my personal favorites off the album. The album dealt a lot with romantic love but on this one, Lana speaks about leaving behind a familial kind of love: her childhood home. “I could never try to forget/ All the memories, the time that we spent/ My safety net through all the years is gone”, she sings in such a passionate and heartfelt way that is very hard not to tear up from. The entire song sounds like a folk-anthem that has been passed through generations, making you feel like this song instantly defines part of you and a yearning for a safety net that is now lost. On “First Sight” and “The Driving Song”, both hark back to the bright and positive moments of a love from the past and an ode to a friendship inside a dream-scenario. Both songs are accompanied with a summery tune that is full of vivid and graphic moments that all form the kind of stories we like to remember.  Embracing the positive, having faith in love at first sight and celebrating friendship & youth. Explained as the final dance with a memory of someone, “The Day the World Stops Turning” is one of the most soul-stirring songs on the record. It’s one thing to dwell on a memory of the past but it’s another to rekindle a memory of someone that is gone forever. It’s understandable why Lorde described this song as one of the hardest songs she wrote but she has accomplished displaying grief in such a clever and telling way from the progression of the lyrics, the touching melody and the somber production. The song is easily one of the best on the album. The closer “Love, To Me”, is a stunning summary for the album. The acceptance of all those memories, the good and the bad, with the realization that it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. This song feels like the very last page of the notebook that was left somewhere in Long Pond studio in New York. That year-long session between both of them that was kept a secret and is now open for all. The memories and stories they shared are now going to be painted with new colors and captured in time. “To Have Never Loved at All” is undoubtedly one of the best albums of the year and is an ample evidence that the two not only know where the music scene is today but also where it’s going.

 

Letter from an Old Friend- 9.5/10

A Missed Connection- 9/10

Fine Wine- 8/10

Know Me- 9/10

Blind Devotion- 10/10

Mercy- 9.5/10

Safety Net- 10/10

First Sight- 8.5/10

The Driving Song- 8/10

The Day the World Stops Turning- 10/10

Love, To Me- 9/10

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REVIEW #2: 98/100

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It was a collaboration that almost seemed like it was never going to happen. Year after year passed and nowhere was there any sight of a full collaborative effort from Lorde and Lana Del Rey, two best friends and the two biggest names the industry had ever seen. 2021 seemed to be just like any other year in that respect. Lorde approached the release of Scarlet as if she was going to retire early and Lana seemed content to focus on being a mother and releasing droplet singles. Quite how they managed to keep an entire album a secret for as long as they have is nothing short of a miracle. The thing about miracles though is that they tend to only happen once per person, and Lorde and Lana have had theirs with the secret they kept. But if there is any pair of souls that can buck nature’s tendencies it’d be these two women. This collaboration was so fabled, so wanted, so pondered over that it was not possible for it to live up to any of the expectations laid upon it. 

 

Damn if they didn’t pull a second miracle out of this. 

 

To Have Never Loved at All arrives as a startlingly intimate affair, sometimes oppressively so (in the best possible way). Both artists are known for their bombast, and though Lana is by far the most sonically lowkey of the two, even she has never crossed over into this territory. This is a far cry from the synths and wall to wall club iconoclasm that populated Lorde’s latest release, and it’s also quite a world away from the textures and polish of Lana’s previous LP. It should on paper be a regression, but it is instead a triumphant leap forward. 

 

The album’s sonic palette is down to earth, rustic, almost DIY and certainly under the radar. It conjures up images of long, deserted roads winding through the desert, images of vintage Americana, feelings of heat clawing at your back on a summer day. It is a sonic exploration of the complexities of being simple. When you’re a giant like these two women are, subtly becomes harder and harder to achieve. When your name brings such a wave of spectacle, turning it down for quiet moments are fleetingly rare, but they succeed in making them happen. Across these eleven tracks, never once do they lean into something distractingly large. These are songs ripped straight from an afternoon spent swinging on a porch swing, pouring out your soul. The music is simple, but never basic. It’s easy, but never gives everything away. There’s just as much said in the moments of silence than there are in the confident strums of the guitar. 

 

The decision to primarily build these songs around guitar and piano was a stroke of brilliance. It allows these songs to breathe and leaves nothing for the audience to be distracted by. What this allows them to do is keep a stronghold on the audience’s emotions. They never let this runaway with the listener, they are firmly in control of everything their audience experiences. You don’t feel anything they don’t want you to feel and you feel everything they want you to feel. It’s a masterclass in keeping an audience gripped, and it’s made all the more impressive that it didn’t have to be loud and brash to do it. 

 

Lyrically, the album is impeccable. There is no song here that can be faulted for it’s lyrics. These two are noted as among the best writers of their generation, but even knowing that you’ll walk away from this surprised at the depths they plunge into. It’s clear these lyrics are coming from a place of self reflection few can manage to get to. There is nothing said here that they don’t mean with every breath. They take situations that are familiar, concepts that we’ve all at one time or another experienced, but the most remarkable thing they do with them is they don’t change them. They don’t throw in a twist, they don’t alter these experiences from how we all perceive them. And therein lies the key to why this all works: it’s honest. It’s painfully, brutally, agonizingly human. You cannot get lost in a fairy tale because there isn’t one being told. These are musings on life, these are stories of real people experiencing real things. You simply cannot detach because you find more of yourself in the words than you ever expected to. 

 

Like the sonics, the lyricism evokes the feelings of a world passed. These feel like songs pulled from a bygone area, a time where life was simpler but not easier. They play with nostalgia, but they don’t use it as a manipulation tactic. They use it to inspire this feeling of longing for something you cannot have, a consistent theme throughout the record. Rarely, if ever, has the audience been so in step every step of the journey before. The lyrics invite you inside and make you a part of the journey, make you a part of every moment of pain and every moment of beauty. 

 

Though it isn’t quite possible to take any tracks in isolation (they work best as a collective), if I had to pick standouts I would say Mercy, I would say The Day the World Stopped Turning, I would say Love, To Me. Though the rest of the tracklist is stellar and more than up to the task, these three songs represent the best of what is on show here. It combines the delicate sonics, the evocations of days gone by, the personal diary-like musings, the invitation to be a part of the experience. They are show pieces, points of interest. If this were a film, they’d be the money shots. There is no truly weak track on the album, though it’s opener does fall in last place. But that speaks to the quality of the record that it’s “weakest” contribution effortlessly surpasses many’s peaks and could easily be Grammy worthy by itself. 

 

It has been said about both artist’s most recent outputs individually, but there will truly never be something like this again. Certainly they will both go on to do something even better, perhaps a more groundbreaking event. But this will not be topped in terms of sheer power, sheer impact. No pun intended, but the moment of its release was like the world stopped turning. This album feels monumental, but even that cannot strip it of its innocence and its intimacy. 

 

A miracle of an album, indeed.

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REVIEW #3: 98/100

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The album no one saw coming, but perhaps one that we should’ve anticipated. Two of the biggest stars in the world, Lana Del Rey and Lorde, coming together to craft a single full body of work seems too good to be true and many would believe it was. However, the close friendship and creative relationship the two share make this project something that seemed destined to be released at some point in time. Luckily for us, that time came under the guise of Evergreen, a piano reworking of Lorde’s mega-album Scarlet that never truly existed. Instead, the idea was masterfully crafted, just like the entirety of each artist’s career, to hide this release that has since sent the world into chaos as we tried to come to terms with a surprise drop on a scale never seen before.

 

The album centres around various themes of love in all it’s forms, beginning with Letter To An Old Friend. Instantly, the track throws us right into an almost nostalgic atmosphere, with Lana and Lorde writing from a perspective within the future as they look back on the last time they spoke. It would be easy to lose focus with such a concept, but the lyrics within this track somehow feel authentic to a version of each that is yet to even exist. The beauty of it lies in it’s ability to lean on past memories to paint a future narrative, rather than trying to establish one out of thin air. There’s no complex explanation of why communication was lost, and there doesn’t need to be. It’s beautifully simple, and the production comes in to match. That is, until the ethereal, glittery harmonies that come in to create an elegant end. The song does continue past that point which, although doesn’t take away from the song, also feels like it could’ve ended just before to the same effect. Transitioning into A Missed Connection, the song sees a switch in subject but carries a similar reminiscent feeling to it. Lyrically, the song is practically flawless with some of the most magical imagery of the album, painting a stunning scene coated in a somewhat regretful memory. As far as the production goes, it takes a backseat to the lyrics and allows the two space to tell the story although it can’t be called the most engaging of the album. As we get into Fine Wine, we are met with what could be called some of the most stunning production of the album as it builds throughout the track. The only issue to find is in the lyrics themselves, which can at times feel somewhat repetitive. The verses are beautifully written and contain some interesting ideas, but it would’ve been nice to see them expanded a little more.

 

Seconds into Know Me, it’s clear this track is taking a different approach to the others which is a welcome change at this point in the album. The result of this change is potentially the highlight of the album thus far, with Lana and Lorde’s frustration and confusion on full display in their lyricism and impressive vocal delivery, an absolute high point not just in this track but throughout the album as a whole. There’s really little to fault in this track, which is such an expressive and instant highlight in both artist’s discographies. The following track, Blind Devotion, marks the album’s longest and justifies it’s length and so much more. It’s lyricism is perhaps the most direct so far, weaving a storyline and setting all in one with lines that could take hours to fully break down all their layers. A display of resentment and realisation, it all culminates into one final outburst from the two in the most spectacular production moment of the album with a siren of cries between the two. Like Letter To An Old Friend, the track does linger on slightly longer than needed which is apparent in it’s already lengthy runtime, however it’s far from enough to bring it down. Stepping away from the dramatic end of the previous track, Mercy is a simple yet elegant piano ballad at it’s finest. Although the sweeping and perfectly flowing lyrics are yet again a stand out, the true highlight within is easily the delivery of the two stars, and their ability to harmonize and bounce off each other with every note that elevates the track beyond anything else. 

 

Safety Net feels like a familiar yet fresh sound within the album, carrying a lighter airiness and nostalgic feel within it. Touching on a feeling of loss, coupled with a comfort in reminiscing, the track is perhaps the most unique in the sense of the subject, but evokes an emotion unseen in the rest of the album that allows it to stand out. This is carried by a stunning internal reflection within the lyrics themselves, that feel incredibly authentic and raw so as to create an intimate connection with the subject and emotions the listener may have hearing it. First Sight continues this brighter view, with a look into the lighter side of love from the view of each star. It’s one of the most reflective within the project, and the track builds into a stunning bridge that takes the song to a new level as the two trade lines. It’s not necessarily anything new on the album outside of the brighter perspective, but the approach gives it a fresh appeal and an opportunity for the two to explore another side of love.

 

The album’s lead single, The Driving Song, is a clear stand out and one may even go to call it the best on the album. Whether you agree or not, it’s impossible to deny that it was the perfect choice as it perfectly reflects this album’s process and how it came to be - Lana and Lorde’s sister-like friendship. Similarly to the album’s opener, the track is inspired by an alternate version of the two, one crafted within a dream of Lorde’s but one that feels as real as anything else on the album. The two create a stunning image of freedom and love, intertwined with their authentic friendship that lives in every line and every note of the song. The two may be masters at pulling emotions out of their audience, but this track more than any draws you into the scene as you watch the two glide down the road without a care in the world. There’s really nothing to say of The Day The World Stopped Turning that isn’t sheer praise. Perhaps calling The Driving Song the album’s peak was too soon, as this track comes as the most honest, vulnerable and impactful of the project. Every single lyric packs a punch of tears and emotion, with a stunning piano accompaniment to match. Little words can capture the excellence that is the lyricsm within this song in particular, but the connection that many are bound to feel to this track says more than words ever could. The ‘voicemail’ by the end of the song is the breaking point, the most emotional and perhaps the single greatest moment in the album, which is saying a lot with the amazing moments that have come before. The album closes with Love, To Me and is the most satisfying conclusion both for Lana and Lorde, but also for us as listeners. After being caught between so many forms of love throughout the album, this send off feels like a celebration of it all, every moment of it and how it comes together in our lives. One could go on to praise the incredible lyricism found not just in this track but the album as a whole, although the emotion is what shines through the most in those final lines. Coming in for one final encore in a stunning piano segment, the album finally wraps itself up as a complete journey, and one that listeners have been captivated by for the last 46 minutes.

 

Many have dreamed about what a collaboration between the world’s two biggest stars, Lorde and Lana Del Rey, would sound like but none would have imagined something as ambitious and phenomenal as To Have Never Loved Before. Neither artist feel like they take the lead, as both grow from each other and their ideas to create a culmination of love, family and friendship packaged in a stunningly written and produced bundle of magic. There’s very little to fault, as one would expect with the two of the greatest artists of our generation, and this album further cements them in that place. Although it’s yet to be seen what the future holds for them, many will be anticipating to see whether Lorde and Lana Del Rey will come together yet again to not only repeat, but develop the artistic style they have developed here as the result of their own individual works. Either way, the product at hand is monumental in every way, and certainly in their own careers as superstars, artists, and friends.

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